Prospect Park Boathouse Wedding

What I adore most about Indian weddings are the explosions of color. Everything that is mobile or stationary has some sort of beautiful fabric draped on it and I absolutely love weddings that aren’t afraid of implementing heaps and heaps of color. Laylah and David’s wedding mixes her vibrant Indian heritage with the history of The Boathouse in a fashion with such finesse that the lovely shades of blues and green used stands out so gorgeously. danfredo photos + films captured the day expertly and The Arrangement gave another wonderful nod to Laylah’s heritage by incorporating tropical florals in the table arrangement and sweetly, the inspiration directly came from the landscapes from the bride’s grandparents’ hometown.

From the bride, Laylah: It was important to us to represent David’s upbringing in Brooklyn and Laylah’s Indian heritage. Knowing that the venue was full of historic details, we wanted to tell our story with modern touches that drew upon our own personal histories. The color scheme was a mixed palette of deep blues and greens. Indigo, which was derived from the textiles of India, and varied hues of greens, which were derived from the venue.

Inspired by the setting, David designed and assembled custom wedding invitations that featured a pop-up of the Boathouse in miniature. The envelope liners also echoed the herringbone pattern of the Boathouse’s tiled ceiling. David also designed the weekend and wedding programs. Miniature pop-ups were used again for the table numbers and menus, designed and hand-crafted by David. With the help of three of my friends, I spent a weekend dying the table runners. I used indigo dye and a mix of tie dye and shibori techniques to create 11 unique table runners. I also hand-lettered and arranged the seating chart, which drew upon the herringbone pattern of the venue, and hand-painted two wooden signs that were used to guide guests through the park to the Boathouse. Together with her son and daughter-in-law, my aunt, Rani, sourced the indigo patterned textiles and made all of the cloth napkins. Being creative people ourselves (David is an architect and I’m an interior designer), we were really excited to delve into the details to personalize our wedding. From the custom invitations to the indigo table linens, we felt like our guests got a glimpse into our personal histories and our passion for design.

The floral arrangements were an ode to the tropical flora and fauna native to Peermade, a small town in the mountains of Kerala, India, where Laylah’s grandparents live. The tables were decorated with bud vases of mixed ferns and leaves. Monstera leaves and white flower garlands decorated the posts at the waterfront. The bridesmaids’ bouquets were again a mix of greens and the groom’s and groomsmens’ boutonnières incorporated succulents. The bridal bouquet included Queen Anne’s lace, white lisianthus and roses, succulents, eucalyptus leaves, and a variety of ferns.

Any advice for couples planning their weddings now? Surround yourself with a good team and have fun with it! We feel so lucky that we were able to collaborate with so many awesomely talented people, and we are certain we could not have done it without them. Nicole and Tom, our florists, totally nailed it. We felt they were on board with our slightly unconventional ideas from the get-go. Danielle and Wil, our photographer and videographer, captured the whole day and gave us an incredible album and video to remember it all by. Amy, Laylah’s hair and makeup artist, kept her cool during the buzzing morning prep. Antoinette, the cake decorator, customized three beautiful ombré cakes in varying blue tones. James, the DJ, kept everyone on the dance floor from the moment the music started. Yoriko and her team at the Movable Feast helped orchestrate the night and served a great meal. And last but not least, our amazing and supportive friends and families were on board to help out every step of the way.

View all images from this wedding in the gallery

Be sure to watch the wedding day film from danfredo photos + films:

Wedding Music:
Wedding Party Processional: “Introduction,” Nick Drake
Bride’s Processional: “Comptine d’un Autre Été,” Yann Tiersen (from the movie Amelie)
Recessional: “Get Lucky,” Daft Punk
First Dance: “Lovely Day,” Bill Withers
Father/Daughter Dance: “Poinciana,” Ahmad Jamal, followed by the Lambada (I danced on my dad’s feet to this late 80s classic as a little girl)
Mother/Son Dance: “In My Life,” The Beatles

Wedding Vendors:
Photography and Videography: danfredo photos + films
Floral Design: The Arrangement
Venue: The Boathouse in Prospect Park
Sari: Seematti
Catering: Moveable Feast
Paper Goods: Bespoke Invite